Railroad-switch-locking mechanism



March l2, 1929. F. L. KITTLE RAILROAD SWITCH LOCKING MECHANISM Filed July 29,l 1927 UNITED SITA Msi. ia,

LUCKY KITTLE, Fv CINCINNATI, Ol-IO.

RAILROAD-SVJITCiH-LOCKING MECHANSM.'

Application led July 29,

when the switch is in position for trains or tra-flic to pass freely therethrough Vwithout sliunting. The object of the structure herein isto provide a reliable lock device for the said throwing' mechanism that can ybe easily shifted for the open and closed positions df the switch when it is properly set and not liable to be changed accidentally in the` movements of the trains nor subject to vany ordinary or undue manipulation by unauthorized persons intent on injury to the person and property of those using'the tracks.

The details of structure will be clearly defined in connection with the description of the accompanying' sheet of crawings, 1n which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the lock box or receptacle in which my safety detaining or lockingl feature is inclosed'and ready for application to working-place in a trackg.` Fig'. 2, a longitudinal sectional elevation of the inclosing-box seen in Fig. '1, and show- Y ing` the safety lock-mechanis1n in the' position it takes when the switch is in'eithery its open or its closed state, dependent on its relative location in the track, to be used to the right or 'to the left of the main-line, as the case may be; Fig. 3, a transverse section taken on the vertical dotted-line 3, 3, of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4, a sectional plan taken on the horizontal dotted-line 4, 4, of Fig'. 2 and, also, of Fig.

A indicates the base of the inclosing box or casing; B, the shallow vertical fore-wall thereof; C, the vertical rear-wall thereof;v and D, the horizontal cover or lid` whose rear pendent portion d is hinged at d', til', to

the upper rear edge of the said rear-wall C. The base A extends forwardly and rear- .l

wardly beyond the front and rear wallsB and C, as best shown in Figs. k3 and y4, to `impart the desired firm and steady footing' to the switch-lock box herein that must of necessity and the very nature of its some what important and dependable use rest on a sure and proper foundation, proof against any undue rocking, wabbling, or ordinary shifting i The pendent forewall e of the lid D rests upon the upper aligning edge of the shallow 'fore-wall' B of the lock box or ycasir-U and a centrally-pro?ecting' sta le E is provided ter engagement oy a slotted. heap 1927. Serial No. 209,354.

F on tl e forewall BI and the loop of a pad-4 lock G that is properly under the control of authorized attendants only. Opposite end-walls H and l are provided in the body of the box A, the lid l) being' provided with aligning' end-walls `It and c', respectively, as best seen in Fig. 2. l n

rlhus far l have described the details of the in casing-member which may be varied at will and made, not essentially, but prefer'- ably, as shown. I will. now, however, describe the details the structure of the locking' features of my invention that are protected within thesaid encasingmember for safety against tamperingwith and any kundue alteration of the `switch from its intended use. v l

4 indicates "the horizontal auxiliary vdraftbar or connecting rod internal-connection having ay forked outward-extensionl 5 through kthe end-wall l of the casing, a h0le`6 being provided in said extension 5 for the'crossbolt used in attaching rthe adjacent end of the ordinary switch-throwing connectingrod (not shown). draft-bar 4 has a raised hump-formation 7 near its inner end l8, and lateral lugs or blocks 9 and 10 arevprovided on its face, suitably spaced apart, as best seen in Fig. 2, and a recess or open 'slot 11 is provided along' its lower edge, in approximate alignment. with thesaid pair of blocks 9 and 10, for the reception of a raised stop-formation or thickened portion 12 that is preferably made integral with the longitudinallyslidable auxiliaryulatch or detent-bar 13, the latter constituting' the most essential member of the improvement herein. Thevstop-formation `12 shorter than thelength'of the recess11 for due compensating-allowance in the relative coaction of the said auxiliary internal draft-bar with the said'detent-bar when using` the lock:mechanism for the switch in either its open or its closed condition. In Fig'. 2 I lshow thesaid draft-bar in its outer- 'n'iost-extended position, for the open switch, for example, and; thesaid auxiliary detentbar in its innermost position-for said open condition of the switch, assuming that the inclosing' lock-box is plafced in a corresponding relation in the track,A of course, orv reverso to ysuit a reverse relation. 14 .is a

raised longitudinal strip or'horizontal flange integrally formed vor provided in the bottom Vof the box or veasing an onvw'lnch the 'said auxiliary distant-bar .lengthwise The auxiliary internal Y Y the inner face of the back-wall C of the box,

parallel to the auxiliary draft-bar. The

upper edoe of the latter has sliding, free fr'otional contact with the lower edge of the strip 15, and the hump or raised portion 7 of the draft-bar engages an open slot or recess 18 provided in the lower edge of the strip 15, which slot 18 is longer than `the length of said hump 7 and allowsfor a limited, sliding, reciprocal movement of said hump to suitthe length of stroke of the (irait-bar in the adjustment of the switch, from open to closed position, or vice versa.

A pair of corresponding bell-crank arms J and K is provided in the box iii, the screws or bolts 18 and 17, respectively, being used to secure them in pivotal place, with intermediate washers to reduce friction, as customary, on therface of aforesaid rigid strip 'or bar 15. ft will be noted, in Fig. 2, that all the securing-screws of the lugs 9 and 10 and of the bell-crank arms [l and Karo i von the saine level, indue horizontal alignment, so that the hook-ends V19 and 2O of said crank-arms J and K, respectively, shall always engage the inner ends of said lugs9 and 10 in a direct radial line with the pivotal 'centers ofthe bell-cranks provided by said bolt-s or screws 16 and 17. The said hookends 19 and 2O of the crank-arms are pivotally-mounted at the inner ends of their horizontal portions, by screws 21, and pressersprings. 22 are provided on the hook-ends that extend into sockets in the upper part of the corner or angle 28 of each bell-crank arm J and K so that said hook-ends are held Y under pivotal-'tension ,for ready snapping into engagement with the inner ends ofthe said lugs 9 and 10 when the locking device Vis in using-place for either the open or the closed condition of the switch, as the case may be.

' A pair of 'two links 24, 25, are pivotallyconnected together at their approaching inner ends by means of a bolt 26, and likewise pivot-ally-connected at their outer ends by means of bolts 27 to the lower forked ends 28 of the pendent members of the crankarms J and l adjacent the face of t-he detent-'bar 13, the said bolt 26 being also usedV to pivotalhJ-connect the said inner ends of the said links 211, 25,'to the detent-bar in a vertical line just below the middle of the compensating stop-bar V12, as best seen in 'Fig'. `2, and thus coupling` the detent-bar with said bell-crank arms for operating them vinto alternate engagement with their hookends 19, 20, 1n contact with the lugs `9 and 10, respectively,y for the said open and closed positions of the switch.

In Fig. 2 "I have shown the device in sumed, as above stated,) the auxiliary internal draft-bar not being slidable in either direction without first sliding the detent-ear 13 outwardly so as to release the hook-end of the crank-arm K from locked engagement with the lug 10. ln the movement of the detent-bar 13 the two hook-ends 19 and 2O are first brought to about the'same upper jor aised level when the draft-bar is to be manipulated in either direction for either the open or the closed .position of the switch, after which the detent-ha' further slid lengthwise. (to the left outwardly) which causes the stop-formation V12 to' bear against the end 29 of the recess 1,1 and fully closing the -gap `between the hump of the draftbar and the end 30 of the slot or recess 18 inthe rigid strip 15 and stopping any further movement fof the draft-bar, which coiniscides with either the full 'closing or the full opening of the switch, as may be.

rlhe auxiliary detent-bar 13 has a forked outer-extension 18at that is adapted for engagement with the armature of an electricmotor, or otherwise, with the lever-connection of a compressed-air lever-throwing device, both in common use on railroads in throwing switches from towers or thelilre along` the tracks. The said forked end 13a and the electric or compressed-air actuating .connections are suitably encased (not shown) against intrusion or tampering by unauthorized persons intent on causing trouble and damage. Of course it will be readily seen that the outer forked end 5 of the draft-bar can be connected wit-h the connecting-rod of the ordinary ground throw- `stands ofswitches instead -of the tower conneetions named.

Cotter-pins (as best seen in Fig. 2) are Ipreferably used instead of nuts on all the pivotal points in the struct-ure, for both safety in use and facility in assembling or separating t-he vparts thereof. It will be seen that the strip `15, the draft-bar 4f, the detent-bar 13 and the raised bottom-strip 14 are all of the same uniform thickness of material fordue uniformity, and that the pivots '16 and 17 are on the same level with the centers of the fastening-screws of the lugs 9 and 10 so ythat when the hook-formations 19` and 20 of the bell-crank arms J and 'K are in alternate engagement with the said lugs Vthey are not off-center with said'lugs and the desired engagement `of the hooks with the lugs is always available and effective in the proper locking` relation of the ldraft-bar with the detent-bar in safely and positively holding the switch in either open ornclosed locked position. f The device is extremely simple, easily approached by the authorized vperson for inspection, lubrication and repairs and not easily gotten out of order or deranged in use.

I claimty y Y 1.l In a railroad-Switch safety-lockmechanism, the combination of an inclosing-box having an accessible lock-secured lid, a reciprocable auxiliary draft-bar' mounted to slide within the said box and having a'raised formation or hump on its upper edge adapted to engage a recessed strip on the inner' face of the rear wall of the. box, lateral sto-pmeans on the said hump, ayrecess in the lower edge of said auxiliary draft-bar, an auxiliary detent-means in reciprocal sliding relation with said auxiliary draft-barand having a raised formation adapted to engage the said lower recess in the draftbar, hookended levers pivotally-mounted in the box for alternate locking-engagement with said lugs on the draft-bar, and link-means pivotally-coupled at their inner ends to the said detent-means and at their outer ends to said hook-ended levers, the said auxiliary draftmeans and auxiliary detent-means having ends that extend outwardly from the opposite ends of the box for coupling with the draft-rod of the switch at one end of the box and with the lever or crank of an armature or other concealed power actuating device at the other end of the box foruse in adjusting the lock in due relation with the position of the switch.

2. In Va railroad-switch locking-mechanism, the combination ofa box or casing having an accessible lock-secured lid, a draft-bar having a raised portion or hump,

' the upper edge of a guideway for said draftbar with said hump in reciprocal-engagement with said recess, lateral lugs on the face of said hump, a vertically-aligned recess in the lower edge of said draft-bar, a pairl of bell-crank arms pivotally-mounted on the said stationary strip and having resiliently-y lmounted Vupper hook-ends adapted to alternately engage the said lateral lugs on the hulnp, a detent-bar adapted to slide or reciprocate in parallel relation to said draftbar and having' a raised stop-formation coinciding with said lower recess in the draft. bar but of lesser length, and a pair of 1inklevers pivotally-oonnected at their' inner ends to the detent-bar centrally beneath said raised stop-formation and having pivotalconnection with the pendent lower ends of the said bell-crank arms, the said draft means and detentkmeans having respective outwardextensions that are adapted to connect with any suitable power means to actuate said detent-.bar into yloclring-engage ment with said draftbar, in either the open or the closed positions of the switch. n

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature. f y

FRANK LUCKYKITTLE. 

